Premier League

Watson closing on Wigan return

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:30:00

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has put thoughts of the Copa
del Rey final showdown with Real Madrid on hold for now.

The Rojiblancos secured their place in the cup showpiece for the
second time in four years after progressing through 4-3 on
aggregate following two incident-packed semi-final legs against
Sevilla.

After establishing a 2-1 lead following a first leg that
included three penalties and three red cards, Atletico finished the
job at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday night in an encounter
that finished 2-2 and saw Sevilla once again have two players sent
off.

That success set up a mouthwatering final clash with arch-rivals
Real - a side Atletico have not beaten in over 13 years - in May,
but Simeone was reluctant to talk too much about that match at this
point.

The Argentinian, whose side face fellow high-flyers Malaga in La
Liga on Sunday, said: "Regarding the final, the only thing that
we're thinking about is the happiness of being back in a very
important final.

"Tomorrow (Thursday) we will think about Malaga, who are a
direct and difficult rival."

While Simeone was unwilling to look ahead to the final derby, he
knows it will be a different story for the Atletico fans.

As the supporters celebrate, though, Simone hopes they will
spare a though for some of the club's unsung heroes this
season.

Simeone said: "The Atletico Madrid fans will be happy.

"They will get up in the morning and will have a very important
final to look forward to. It will be a difficult game but they will
be full of joy to see their team fighting for second place in such
a competitive league and once again finding themselves in the
final.

"This says very good things about the players, about the efforts
they are making, and also the people who are not seen, such as the
physios, the medical staff, the assistants...

"It is a victory for everyone because without the work of the
people who you don't see, it's impossible that these guys are in
this form."

Lewandowski's current deal at Dortmund does not expire until
June 2014, but his agent revealed earlier this week that the Poland
international has already decided on his next destination.

The 24-year-old has been linked with potential moves to Bayern
Munich, Manchester United and Juventus.

"Robert Lewandowski is not going to sign a new contract. We will
have to see if he is going to be on the move in the summer,"
Borussia Dortmund director Michael Zorc told German Sky.

"His contract runs until 2014. There are two options. Either he
goes in June or he stays for another year."

Lewandowski has bagged 44 goals in 87 appearances for the German
club, helping them to two consecutive Bundesliga titles since his
transfer from Lech Poznan in 2010.

Lord Nimmo Smith chaired the three-man panel which was appointed
to decide if the company that formerly ran the club broke SPL rules
regarding the payment of employees.

The club won five SPL titles during the decade in question, but
Sky sources understand those pennants are not under threat,
although the final verdict of the commission is still awaited later
on Thursday.

The probe related to the period between 2000-2011 during which
Rangers operated employee benefits trusts.

HM Revenue and Customs had claimed the scheme, which was used to
make payments to players and staff in the form of tax-free loans,
was illegal.

Rangers disputed this and a First Tier Tax Tribunal ruled last
November that the scheme did not breach tax law, although HMRC have
appealed that initial verdict to an Upper Tier Tax Tribunal.

The central defender, 19, has been a virtual ever-present for
the Blades this season and reached the landmark in Tuesday night's
goalless draw with Leyton Orient, a week before his 20th
birthday.

Maguire is expected to make it 101 starts at Oldham this weekend
and told the club's official website: "I have some fantastic
memories of playing at Boundary Park. It was where I scored my
first senior goal, so hopefully that is a good omen for
Saturday."

Maguire made his first appearance for the Blades as a
second-half substitute in a home match against Cardiff in April
2011, when he was only 17, and was voted man of the match after
making his full debut four days later at Preston.

There were fears Watson could be out for the rest of the season
after breaking his leg in an innocuous challenge with Raheem
Sterling in the defeat at Liverpool last November.

But the 27-year-old did not require surgery and the speed of his
recovery has given Martinez a lift as they continue their battle
against relegation from the Premier League.

Martinez said: "He is already on the grass, and that is
something we didn't expect until probably the end of March.

"I will be very surprised if he doesn't get at least one or two
games before the season finishes.

"That is very encouraging and it shows a lot from Ben - how he
has been acting on a daily basis and how professional he has been
in his recovery.

"It is a real good boost for everyone to see his smiling face
around the training ground and he is looking forward to just being
on the pitch, which is a refreshing attitude."

Wigan were beaten 3-0 at Anfield on the day Watson suffered his
injury and face the Reds again at the DW Stadium this weekend.

Martinez said: "It was sad to look back at what happened at
Anfield.

"It was a very unfortunate incident that nine times out of 10
wouldn't bring a major fracture.

"It was a disappointing moment but now, as we play the return
fixture, we see all the positive vibes from Ben that he is going to
be hopefully fully fit before the end of the season."

Wigan hope left-back Maynor Figueroa can overcome the effects of
a bad tackle by Reading's Pavel Pogrebnyak to feature against
Liverpool.

Figueroa was on target as Wigan won 3-0 at the Madejski Stadium
to move out of the relegation zone, but he was also on the end of a
challenge that saw Pogrebnyak sent off.

Martinez said: "Maynor was very fortunate. He ankle has been
affected but it wasn't a rupture or a major injury in his
ligaments.

"It was a little bit higher than a broken ankle.

"He has got the stud marks and he hasn't been able to train
yet.

"We will assess him over the next 48 hours and see where he is
for the weekend."

There has been speculation over Figueroa's future at Wigan, with
the Honduras international out of contract at the end of the
season.

West Ham have been linked with the 29-year-old but, while he
accepts other clubs might be interested, Martinez does not want to
comment on the situation.

The Spaniard said: "I am not surprised. When you are a defender
who can come up with the type of goal he came up with on Saturday,
you can get the type of compliments he gets behind closed doors
outside.

"But I don't expect teams to talk about players who are under
contract and I would never speak about players of other teams under
contract at this stage of the season.

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